Multilingualism in Heads, Hearts and Hands: Attitudes towards the development, implementation, and evaluation of multilingual approaches in Frisian primary schools

TY - THES

T1 - Multilingualism in Heads, Hearts and Hands

T2 - Attitudes towards the development, implementation, and evaluation of multilingual approaches in Frisian primary schools

AU - Dekker, Suzanne

PY - 2024/6/13

Y1 - 2024/6/13

N2 - Europe's increasing societal diversity has led to a rise in multilingual school populations, where pupils speaking migrant or minority languages at home consistently perform lower academically compared to their peers. However, research indicates that explicitly valuing and incorporating pupils' full linguistic repertoire in the classroom can enhance their academic achievements and socio-affective development, underscoring the importance of utilizing linguistic diversity in education and fostering positive attitudes towards multilingualism. Attitudes, comprising emotional, cognitive, and behavioural dimensions, play a crucial role in shaping language education practices. The aim of this thesis was therefore to gain insight into the development of attitudes and practices surrounding the use of multilingual educational approaches during a four-year Educational Design Research Intervention study. We explored pupils’ implicit and explicit attitudes towards salient migrant and minority languages, as well as assessed the lasting impact of the 3M project on teachers' attitudes, knowledge, and practical skills. To obtain a more comprehensive picture, the studies of this dissertation utilize both qualitative and quantitative research methods, target implicit and explicit attitudes, involve pupils and teachers, and make use of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Our findings suggest that normalizing multilingual interaction and emphasizing inclusive language policies are essential steps in fostering supportive learning environments. Additionally, collaborative efforts between researchers and practitioners are crucial for developing inclusive pedagogies that meet the specific needs of teachers and facilitate the effective implementation of multilingual educational approaches.

AB - Europe's increasing societal diversity has led to a rise in multilingual school populations, where pupils speaking migrant or minority languages at home consistently perform lower academically compared to their peers. However, research indicates that explicitly valuing and incorporating pupils' full linguistic repertoire in the classroom can enhance their academic achievements and socio-affective development, underscoring the importance of utilizing linguistic diversity in education and fostering positive attitudes towards multilingualism. Attitudes, comprising emotional, cognitive, and behavioural dimensions, play a crucial role in shaping language education practices. The aim of this thesis was therefore to gain insight into the development of attitudes and practices surrounding the use of multilingual educational approaches during a four-year Educational Design Research Intervention study. We explored pupils’ implicit and explicit attitudes towards salient migrant and minority languages, as well as assessed the lasting impact of the 3M project on teachers' attitudes, knowledge, and practical skills. To obtain a more comprehensive picture, the studies of this dissertation utilize both qualitative and quantitative research methods, target implicit and explicit attitudes, involve pupils and teachers, and make use of cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Our findings suggest that normalizing multilingual interaction and emphasizing inclusive language policies are essential steps in fostering supportive learning environments. Additionally, collaborative efforts between researchers and practitioners are crucial for developing inclusive pedagogies that meet the specific needs of teachers and facilitate the effective implementation of multilingual educational approaches.

U2 - 10.33612/diss.1012163524

DO - 10.33612/diss.1012163524

M3 - PhD thesis

PB - University of Groningen

CY - Groningen

ER -